


I'm Not Sure What I Want

by Prompt_Master



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Aftermath, F/M, Mute Link, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 22:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15106319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prompt_Master/pseuds/Prompt_Master
Summary: After Calamity Ganon, Zelda and Link live together inbetween rebuilding Hyrule. Except after everything these two have been through, living in this new age will never be easy.Or: a character study on how the events of BOTW mentally affected Zelda and Link





	I'm Not Sure What I Want

Even without the constant threat of swirling malice hanging over the heads of those living in Hyrule there was this...tense feeling in the air. Maybe it was the sight of the destroyed ruins of Hyrule Castle, which was now clear for all to see without Calamity Ganon roaming it's corridors. Or maybe it was the fact that until now, Hyrule went 100 years without hope. Or maybe it was the left over monsters of Ganon's creation that continued to terrorize towns and travelers even without their ruler standing. Even so, every day when Zelda woke up and looked out to the beauty of Hyrule she was forced to remember how even if she spent her entire life working on fixing it, she wouldn't even get half way to perfection.

It almost felt wrong not holding back Ganon anymore. Even though she's free she's still working on the left over havok he left behind. If only she could channel the Goddess again and just fix everything. She still remembers the fear that Link wouldn't remember her. But that was before he ran to hug her with teary eyes. After 100 years Zelda finally got Link to hug her. It only took everything. 

She never expected Link to have his own house. It was a small thing, a simple house in a small town. Somehow it suited Link. Nothing felt better to Zelda than getting to stay with Link there in his house inbetween rebuilding Hyrule. But it still didn't feel real. It felt like a dream she couldn't stop having because she was so desperate to have her life back after 100 years. 

Link was...almost the same as she left him. Quiet. Serious. Never relaxing even with his heroic duties done. Even though she was positive he remembered, it felt like everything reversed almost. He was even more withdrawn than before. When she woke up in the middle of the night to him cleaning his sword, shirtless on the floorboards, she somehow knew through the scars on his back that he felt guilty for the 100 years he was gone. She knew Link, at least she liked to think she did, and she was certain he felt his scars weren't a big enough price to pay. 

But she could never talk to him about it. The both of them had too much trauma pertaining the events, Zelda herself felt lost and gone everytime she even considered thinking about it. It almost made her feel weak. Goddess, if only your power was still with her... 

Maybe, just maybe, that's why she decided to go off on her own. She was always doing that before-...all this anyway. She wanted her strength back, she wanted a sense of the normal and peaceful past back. Before watching everything she loved- her father, her kingdom, her Link, die. So, while Link made his way to the Zora Kingdom, she suddenly stopped and went down a different path. Now of course she wasn't dumb, far from it. She had less than a minute before Link realized she was gone. But she was going off pure instinct here. 

She rode her beloved horse, desperate for something to discover. She needed a distraction. Something new to exam and dedicate her new life to studying. But instead she heard the whip of a bow firing, and next thing she knew her horse was bucking up in pain. 

Zelda fell down onto the ground, feeling real physical pain for the first time in a century. She's real. She's here. She would have relished in the feeling if it hadn't knocked the wind right out of her. Her back thudded against the grass, her horses hooves barely missing her head when he stomped in pain due to the arrow in his leg. The ground was shaking from the weight of horses charging in her direction, and it snapped her to attention. 

She gasped and stood up, eyes focusing in on the bokoblin's riding horses with staffs and swords and bows in hand. There were about 6 of them but...they were just bokoblins. Zelda could take them right? 

After all during her 100 years of solitude the Goddess Hylia granted her one gift to keep her sanity: the stories of her past lives. All of them strong, independent, capable of fighting on their own and being their own hero. She could channel their strength, she could be strong like Link. 

Except she wasn't like the other Zelda's. She was nothing like them. She fought with knowledge and defense. What was wrong with her? She never should have gone off on her own, and now these disgusting low life gremlins of malice were going to be what slays the girl born of goddess blood. The girl who could hold back Ganon: unable to kill a few bokoblins. 

She closed her eyes when the spear aimed at her, the others circling her like sharks. She may as well die with honor right? 

The bokoblin made a sudden choking gasp noise, a thud, then the scent of malice filled the air. She looked up quickly, wondering why she hadn't been slain when an arrow struck another bokoblin straight in the chest. It fell to the ground and puffed into a smoke of the malice and monster parts it was made with. She doesn't know why she's surprised. He was always there for her. Always. 

She watched in an unreal daze as Link slay the monsters without breaking a sweat. The glory and grace of his fighting was an art in it of itself. No one could fight like him, no one ever would. With all bokoblins nothing but monster parts on the ground, he wasted no time in running over to the shocked princess. He didn't even give himself a break to breath. 

She stared at the worry in his typically vacant eyes before realizing his hands were moving in different motions. She looked down to read his signs. 

'Are you alright?' 

Zelda felt her breath taken away again. But in a different way then falling off the horse. Or when Link died in her arms. Instead of life being taken away it was like life was being given to her. 

'Are you hurt?'

In very rare moments, you could see Link being an awkard man. Like when he couldn't remember the sign for a certain word, or when he got embarassed over how much he loves food. Or now, when Zelda began to tear up. Link's eyes widened and his arms started waving around wildly. Awkwardly. So he was human after all. 

He almost grabbed her shoulders to comfort her. But he didn't exactly love contact. He didn't understand it. His hands hovered for a moment, wondering if it was ok, before lowering them to hear Zelda speak. It was what he did best after all- listening. 

"I'm...im still not strong enough" she hiccuped and sniffled, hardly becoming of a princess. "After all this time. 100 years and I'm still not strong enough" 

She put her hands over her eyes, sobs over taking her. Link's mouth opened and closed now that she couldn't see him. She almost begged him to say something. Link used to talk to her and only her. It was their thing. She was the one he could confine in, the only one. They had that connection. Why couldn't it last through 100 years? 

Link stood there and watched her cry, until her sobs became hiccups and choppy breathing.

She slowly glanced back up, and as expected he was still staring at her. His eye brows quirking downward in worry. He looked like he wanted to do something but didn't know how. When he saw her looking at him he stumbled back and brought back up his walls. She rubbed her eyes with her fists, 

"I'm alright. I'm sorry I just-" 

Her eyes caught onto the growing red stain on Link's sleeve. The wide rip in the cloth showing the deep gash in his arm. She gasped, all sadness fading away, "Link! You're hurt, why didn't you say something?!"

He looked down to his arm confused, as if he hadn't even felt what clearly had to have hurt. What had he gone through that made such a terrible wound a mere scrape to him? He shook his arm lightly then shrugged, looking back to her. 

She shook her head, "this will not do Link! You cannot be a hero if you're just going to let yourself get hurt like this." 

Link looked like he honestly didn't care at all. He's been a hero an inch away from death he can handle this. But Zelda didn't have any of if. She forced Link to call their horses back, and brought him back to their house. 

Link was silent the entire time she wrapped his arm up. She made sure to layer the bandages with fairy dust. At least she was taught this back at the castle. But it was silent and right now she couldn't handle that. She knew from their past conversations that Link didn't mind the silence, but she couldn't help herself from filling it. 

"You know...almost everyone talks about you now" her gentle hand held his arm up, even with a deep gash his arm was steady. Like a great oak. 

Link gave a shrug. 

"Don't be so modest. You saved the world. You never really cared for recognition but...don't you think you deserve it? You could stay here in the village where it's quiet and away from trouble. Work up the living of what an ordinary man does. Maybe start a ranch" she smiled, remembering the past lives where Link spent time around ranches. He loved them, "I have a feeling you'd really enjoy that" 

But Link shook his head. She didn't have to see his expression to know what he meant. 

"Calamity Ganon is gone."

He turned away. 

"Don't give me that Link. You don't HAVE to keep doing this. You can relax now. You can live the life you deserve....I know you feel there's a lot more trouble left in Hyrule and I cannot deny it but" she tightened the bandages even more when blood continued to soak through, "but you've done enough. We can handle the rest" 

He shook his head and gave her a pointed look. 

"...Of course I want to. But I don't...know if I can live a normal life anymore-" 

She pressed her lips together. Pausing midsentence as she realized it had to be the same for Link. How could they ever even try to live a peaceful life after everything they've been through. 

"But how do you think I feel? When you protect people you get so much more reckless! Your swordsman skills are beyond compare I know you could have avoided this Link!" He frowned, but she kept going, "you can't be doing this! Mipha isn't here to clean up the mess anymore" 

She knew it was too far. It brought tears to her eyes just to mention one of her lost friends. But it had to be said. Link had flinched. 

"Please. Just. Goddess I don't even know what I'm asking for. I don't even know what I want anymore. I just know that...i can't lose you Link. You're all I have left. Please" she finished the wrap. 

"Please." 

His deep blue eyes watched hers for a long long time. Emotionless. Unreadable. Broken like her and their world. But he nodded and held up his pinky. It was a promise. When she didn't move he offered a small smile and rose his eyebrows. She gave a weak laugh, lifting her hand to intertwine with his. She didn't want to pull away from the real feeling and pressure of his pinky around hers, but satisfied with their promise Zelda stood up with a huff of "good." and went to wash her hands. Link sat on back the bed, staring at the careful wrap on his arm. He had to smile at how lovingly she had made it. He brought his arm closer to the window, amazed at the feeling of someone caring for him. The peak of sunlight through the wooden walls of his simple little house highlighted each and every turn she did around his arm. He sighed. He knew Zelda had been through so much more than he could even begin to imagine. They were all they had left. They had to be there for each other. He watched Zelda walk across the creaking floor with her bare feet and long white cover-up. 

Zelda had her back to Link and turned on the sink. Soap suds washed away Link's blood but never washed deep enough for her liking. Focus on something else. Start to focus on something to change. Something small and in control like...like- She picked up the flower pot on the window sill. The flowers were dropping and brown, crusting. She could do this. She could pick new flowers. If she couldn't fix Link, she could fix this. She nodded to herself and stepped back and towards the door-

"Thank you." 

Zelda dropped the flower pot.


End file.
